SOTA c05s01
Text When Antares returned home for dinner, he was still feeling... almost shocked, and a little hurt, even though he knew that was selfish of him. His head ached and his heart felt heavy and he really wasn't in a talkative mood, excusing himself shortly after dinner to take some time to sit in his room and try to think things through. But it was partly what he needed: it helped him understand that if he continued to... stagnate, for lack of a more appropriate word... the world was still going to go on without him. Things were going to change, and people were going to grow, and... he would miss out on all of that. He would just... sit apart, until one day, the world grew so different from what he had known that he would forever be an outsider to it, and he'd never be able to catch up. He didn't want that. He honestly wanted to be part of the world again... for himself, as well as because Prestige would want him to, he was coming to realize. And even though part of him cried out that was only his ego talking, he wasn't entirely sure anymore. When he had been working as a leader, he had come to understand how much each and every decision he made impacted not just himself, but his team, and all the people he was responsible for: he'd forgotten that just because he wasn't a leader anymore, that didn't mean his decisions had less of an impact on those around him. Antares thought a lot about things over the following few days, as he kept mostly to himself, and he appreciated the fact that no one pushed him too much to find out what was wrong. He needed the time to think. But when the morning they would be leaving for Subterra came, after Antares finished packing up his gear, he walked out into the living room to find his father grumbling and attempting to fit all of his and Luna's equipment into a magically-enlarged saddlebag that wasn't quite magically-enlarged enough. The earth pony seemed unaware of his son's presence, and Antares simply studied his father for a little while before the younger stallion finally cleared his throat, and his father glanced up with surprise even as he managed to shove the packed-up blue armor down and into the bag. Then he smiled a little, tilting his head and asking softly: “What is it? You okay, kiddo?” “Yeah, I am.” Antares smiled a little after a moment, glancing down and rubbing at the side of his face before he murmured: “Funny, you still... calling me that. I guess I like it more than I should, too... you know, feeling like... I'm just a kid, and don't have to be responsible about anything.” “Even when you were a kid, Antares, you were sometimes more responsible than me and Luna. Well, that's not saying much, I guess... your mother is outside with Sleipnir throwing trees again right now.” Scrivener said mildly with an easy gesture of his head, and Antares shook his head with a quiet laugh before the dark charcoal, older stallion hesitated, then added softly: “Look, no matter what, too... you are still my son. You're always going to be my kid to me and I'm... always here to help you with anything and everything, okay?” Antares nodded a little, studying his father before he asked quietly: “Dad, when... do you think we ever... really get over someone we lose?” Scrivener hesitated for a few moments, then he shook his head as he reached down and tied the saddlebag closed. Then he straightened and looked up with a small smile, saying carefully: “I don't know if we ever do or not, to be entirely honest. But I'm not saying that's a bad thing, either, strange as that might sound to say.” Antares only looked nonplussed at his father, and Scrivener shifted a bit before he moved the saddlebag aside and stepped forwards to sit down on the futon. Antares automatically sat as well, and Scrivener Blooms glanced towards the blue flames crackling quietly away in the fireplace before he continued softly: “I still think a lot these days about my mother. I know it's not the same at all as Prestige Luster, Antares, but... I've never forgotten that last moment I shared with her, and I... I still wish I knew more about... how she felt about me, and just... what happened. “But at the same time I guess... I'm glad for it. If she'd never given me that single hug, I would have... continued to hate her, and continued to think that I was always... unwanted, by both my parents. I would have been a lot more scared of raising you and Scarlet as my kids, for one thing.” Scrivener glanced up and smiled a little. “But I know that even if neither of my parents... were particularly good parents... at least one of them cared about me. “It's hard to put into words but... after a while, the pain fades away, even when the questions and other thoughts remain. I still miss her, but I don't hurt as much over it. And it's compelled me to some good writing and helped me... keep certain things in mind.” Scrivener paused, then glanced over his shoulder softly as Luna entered the room from the kitchen, gazing at him tenderly. “Like how even when certain ponies make me mad... I shouldn't stay mad at them. Not when they could end up stolen away from me before I ever get a chance to... make up what I did wrong, or even say goodbye.” Antares nodded slowly, and he studied his father, reading his emotions... seeing how much he was amplified when Luna approached and tenderly nuzzled her husband before turning her eyes to her son with a smile. He felt their affection for him, and it warmed his heart... envious as their bond made him when he thought about... “But... what about moving on?” “'Tis no question for Scrivener Blooms... he has never been very good at moving on. He still remembers all his past lovers by face and name and other too-well-cared-for memories.” Luna said softly, glancing over her shoulder at the large stallion, who gave her a flat look. “And he is a hopeless romantic. But know this, Antares... the greatest betrayal of Prestige Luster would come not from moving on with thy life, but in removing thyself from the world. If thou ruins thyself, my child... thou destroys what Prestige Luster cared about most in all the world.” Antares shifted and blushed, dropping his head forwards: he'd never thought of it like that before. Slowly, he closed his eyes and nodded hesitantly, then he looked up and studied the two... and he couldn't help but smile faintly when Twilight Sparkle joined them as well, his eyes roving to the Lich as he murmured: “I'm jealous of you guys sometimes.” Scrivener only smiled a little and shrugged a bit, and Luna grinned despite herself, saying kindly: “Fear not, my young Antares. I am sure that in the future thou shalt enjoy thine own adventures. Besides, I am not so lucky, really... I have a librarian on one hoof and a poet on the other, any pony could mistake me for having a fetish for nerdery.” Slowly, Scrivener and Twilight both turned sour looks on Luna, but the sapphire winged unicorn only continued to look positive as Antares sighed and hung his head. All the same, he felt... better, admittedly, like things had come together a little in his mind and in his heart, and he hesitated for only a moment before glancing up and asking finally: “How do I... prove that I'm doing it for her?” “Does she want you to do it for her, or does she want you to do it for you?” Twilight asked softly, and when Antares glanced at her with surprise and a bit of a blush, the Lich smiled a little in return, her eyes flicking towards Scrivener and Luna. “I've... had my share of experiences, Antares.” “Oh, thou art overthinking this and making far too big a deal of it all.” Luna scoffed, and then she grinned over at Scrivener, winking at him. “Remember our first night together?” “Yes, because it ended up with me being dragged off to be tortured for several hours afterwards, while you snored happily away.” Scrivener replied dryly, and Luna cleared her throat awkwardly and shifted lamely before the stallion turned his eyes towards his son. But he didn't speak when Antares looked up with a small smile and a nod, looking as if an idea had come to mind before he murmured: “I think I know what to do. Mom, Twilight, Dad... thank you all for... all being so good to me and... I think I know what I gotta do once we get to Subterra.” “Aye, right, yes. Twilight Sparkle was complaining that we were behind schedule, but look, my sweet mare. Scrivener has all our things packed, and Antares seems ready to go as well.” Luna said comfortably, gesturing from one to the other, and the violet mare gave her a dry look before the sapphire mare huffed. “And thou scared Sleipnir off so 'tis no more 'distractions,' as thou so put it.” “He was a distraction. And I didn't scare him off, Luna. I don't think much of anything apart from Celestia can scare your big brother.” Twilight rolled her eyes, then she shook her head quickly before glancing over at Antares, asking curiously: “So are you packed?” “Yeah, everything's all ready to go.” Antares replied with a smile, and Twilight looked thoughtfully around for a few moments before the violet mare smiled. “Then I think we're actually going to be on time for once. Alright, let's all head into Ponyville to meet with the others.” the Lich replied, looking both surprised and pleased, and then she headed quickly past Antares towards the master bedroom, adding: “Just let me get a few of my things and we'll head into town.” Luna mimed Twilight's talking behind her back, looking grouchy, and Antares sighed and smiled despite himself, turning to head towards his own room. He stepped inside, studying the mix of messy and neat, seeing all of his parents in the arrangement of his bedroom: his bed was tightly made, his books were in strict order on the shelves, but trinkets and odds and ends lay everywhere else. His eyes drew slowly to the massive mural beside the bed, and he softened a little after a moment: his mother, Luna, had fixed the damages that had been done to it as best she could, but her hooves weren't as deft as the original artist, and it left visible distortions here and there. Yet all the same, it made the art more precious to him, if anything... that she had gone so far to try and fix something important to him. The mural was of countless people: all smiling, all together, standing in an enormous group. Faces he knew, like Applejack and Rainbow Dash and his own parents, and faces he barely remembered, like falcon-headed once-god Odin... and he could see even his own self, among the many others. It had been marred by the same creature that was responsible for the deaths of Rustproof and Prestige and other friends and allies close and far... the destruction entity, Cancer. Antares shook his head quickly, forcing away those thoughts before they could rise up too high: the last thing he wanted to think about was that grinning monster. Besides, they had stopped him... it had almost been too late, but they had still managed to put a stop to him. The glossy black stallion picked up the saddlebag beside the bed and strapped it on, then he hesitated for only a moment as his eyes roved up to a hook on the wall. Hanging from it was a necklace, with a pendant shaped like an onyx star: a gift given to him by his father when he was just a child, that he had used to wear all the time. But after saving his parents, Antares hadn't been wearing it as much. He wasn't sure why, as he studied it for a few moments before finally smiling a little, his horn glowing and lifting it free with telekinesis. It floated quietly down to him, and the young stallion studied it thoughtfully for a few moments before he slipped it on... and it felt as comforting as it always had, the unicorn closing his eyes and smiling a little to himself as he reached up and touched the onyx star gently. Then he shook his head and turned, heading back out into the hallway and down to the den room... only to stare at the fact Scrivener was holding his face in his hooves and glaring horribly at Luna as she tossed all manner of objects out of the saddlebag he had just packed, humming absently and spreading all of their armor and equipment across the floor in a mess. A few moments later, Twilight headed back into the room, and her smile froze on her face at the sight of Luna digging through the saddlebag before the sapphire mare finally straightened with her horn glowing and a bright smile on her face, yanking free a rectangular wooden box and declaring: “See? Just as I said, Scrivy, 'twas packed away already.” And with that, Luna dropped the box back into the saddlebag before glancing back and forth around the room, and then she sniffed disdainfully with an airy gesture of one hoof. “'Tis a mess, Scrivener. I thought thou said thou had packed up everything.” “I am going to kill you one day, Luna. I'm just going to... grab you, and throttle you to death.” Scrivener said moodily, slowly holding up his hooves, and Luna grinned and half-lidded her eyes, leaning towards him. “Now, now, Scrivener, make no promises thou cannot keep.” Luna replied pompously, and then she paused and glanced awkwardly up at the horrendous look Twilight was giving her, clearing her throat before poking Scrivener several times as she complained: “'Tis his fault! He said that I did not pack my art supplies but I was sure that I did! Therefore I had to prove it! 'Tis all Scrivy's doing.” Antares looked awkwardly at Twilight Sparkle, then volunteered lamely: “I'm going to go ahead into town and uh... let the others know you'll be along as soon as you can.” Twilight grumbled, then she nodded and sighed tiredly at the pleading look Luna gave her, saying moodily: “Some of us will be, at least. Alright, Antares, that sounds like a good idea. I think Celestia is trying to organize everyone so we can all head to Subterra together, see if you can find her.” “Alright, Mom.” Antares smiled supportively, then he turned and headed down the hall, shaking his head with a bit of a smile. It was funny, how much his parents seemed to enjoy frustrating each other no matter how much they cared for one-another, too. Top ↑